Easy opening container



June 7,1938. A. FINK "2,119,533

EASY OPENING CONTAINER Filed May 10, 1937 Patented June 7, 1938 UNITED STATES EASY OPENING CONTAINER Henry A. Fink, Pelham Manor, to Continental Can Company,

N. Y., a corporation N. Y., assignor Inc., New York,

of New York Application May 10, 1937, Serial No. 141,842

2 Claims.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in an easy opening sheet metal container wherein the metal is ruptured in order to give access to the contents of the container.

An object of the invention is to provide an easy opening sheet metal container having a container top double-seamed thereto, wherein the metal of the container top is provided with a thinned portion disposed so that the container top may be ruptured and the ruptured section lifted from the container, and wherein said thinned portion is so constructed as to Withstand internal pressure without rupturing while the same force, or a lesser force applied to the container top externally will rupture the thinned portion.

A further object of the invention is to provide an easy opening sheet metal container of the above type wherein the thinned portion is disposed so that a relatively wide opening can be formed by the rupturing of the metal to facilitate the emptying of the contents thereof.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an easy opening container of the above type wherein the container top has the usual depression in the region of the double seam and a further depression forming a depending vertical wall disposed well beneath the double seam, with a thinned portion in the container top located at the angle between said vertical wall and the bottom of the depression.

These and other objects will in part be obvious and will in part be hereinafter more fully disclosed.

In the drawing which shows one embodiment of the invention- Figure 1 is a sectional view through a container top embodying the invention prior to the double-seaming of the container top to the container body;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the container top shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view through the upper portion of a container embodying the invention prior to the rupturing of the metal, and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the rupturing of the container top and the lifting of the ruptured section from the container.

The invention is embodied in a sheet metal container which is preferably cylindrical in shape. The container includes a body portion having a bottom end double-seamed thereto. The top end is provided with the usual flange. and after the container is filled, the top end is secured to the body portion by double-seaming and thus the container closed. This is the usual form of so-called open top container. The invention has particularly to do with the construction of the container top, whereby the container may be easily opened. The container top has the usual depression for the chuck of the doubleseaming head which joins the container top to the container body. The metal of the container top is further depressed so as to provide an inset depending vertical wall which is located a short distance below the double seam. The metal where the inset vertical wall joins the bottom of the depression in the container is thinned by a drawing action, and the thinned portion is so disposed that internal pressure against the bottom side of the container top will place the metal in the thinned portion under compression and the vertical wall will restrain the compression forces so that the metal is not ruptured. On the other hand, when external pressure is applied to the container top inside of the vertical wall, this thinned portion is subjected to a tension strain or force which ruptures the metal, although the external force may be equal to, or considerably less than the internal force.

The container top in the depressed portion inside of the vertical wall is preferably provided with a raised bead located a short distance from the thinned portion which stiffens the metal and aids in the lifting of the section inside of the thinned portion after the rupturing of the metal has been initiated. By this stiffening of the container top, the ruptured section may be readily lifted out of the container and this greatly facilitates the rupturing of the metal and the opening of the container.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, the invention as illustrated includes a container body I to which is secured the usual bottom end by double-seaming. The upper end of the container body is flanged and the container is closed by attaching thereto a container end, illustrated in the drawing at 2. This container end is provided with the usual channel portion 3 which contacts with the flange on the container end and this channel portion and flange are rolled into a double seam. The channel is provided with a plastic sealing composition so that the joint between the container top and the container body is hermetically closed by the rolling of the metal parts into the doubleseam.

The container top is provided with a depressed portion forming a wall 4 which contacts with the Vertical wall 1 depending from the lower limits 7 inner surface of the container bady wall I'. [This wall 4 extends substantially to the lower limits of the. double seam. During double seaming, a

chuck is inserted in the depression in contact with 7 this wall*4, .and serves as an abutment so that i the seamingroll may interfold the channel and, "the flange into a tightly rolled double seam which is indicated at 5 in the drawing. top is further depressed providing an inwardly The container and downwardly extending wall portion 6', and a of the inclined portion 6. The bottom wall of the depressiont is integralwith this depending vertical wall I. The portion 8 of the depression is substantially horizontal.

" The metalbetween the vertical wall land the horizontal portion 8a is subjected to adie action whereby the metal is drawn in thinning as distinguished from cutting. The thinnest, section is preferably at a line which cuts the plane of the bottom wall of the depression substantially at an angle of forty-five degreesas indicated inFig. 2 of the drawing. The metal inthe bottom wall of the depression is raised and beaded as indicated at 9. a Y 1 1 i v i 7 container top is constructed in the 7 When the manner, above; described, internal pressure against the container top will place said thinned section 'under a compression force, and this will 1 be resisted by the vertical wall I. When, however,

the. container top is subjected to an external pres:

sure 'in the region of the thinned section, then said thinned section is placed undera tension indicated at T in' the drawing the 'wall 8a close to the thinned section and downr force. The vertical wall I is rigidly supported,

because it is close to the doubleseam, and there is very little spring of the metal. Comparatively little external force is necessaryv to rupture the metal when said force is applied close to the thinned section and inside of the same. However, internal pressure againstthe container end, as above noted, will not rupture the thinned section.

When it is desired to open thecontainer, a tool is placed against ward pressure applied sufficient to initiate the rupturing of vthe metal. The tool'may be of any desired characten'but is preferably provided with a relatively sharpend so that it, may be readily forced against thesection of the metal for the initial rupturing of the'same, and the metal lifted so as to continue the rupturing along the thinned section, as shown in Fig. 4. The bead will strengthen the section which is to be removed, so that the prying out tool when forced beneath this inner section that'is to be removed can lift the same and cause the rupturing of the metal to continue along'the thinned line; From the above it will be noted; that the portion of the container top which is removed is relatively large and provides a wide opening through which access may be had to the container. Then again, it will be noted that the thinned section which is to beruptured, is close to the double lit will, at the same 8a of the bottom Wall seam and I rupturing of the metal when pressure isapplied inside of the thinned section. Then again, the

supportedthereby so 'astoinsure a thinned section is disposed a slight distance in from the can wall so as to facilitate the prying up of the central section by a tool laid on the double 'seam as a fulcrum support.

The easy opening container described above is particularly adapted for the packaging of vegetables, such as peas, corn and the like.v The thinned section will withstand any difierential of.

pressure in the processing of the container, and

time, permit the container to be easily opened by the use of any available tool which'ism'ore or less sharp, and it is not necessary to use a tool which is equipped for cutting I the metal.

Itis obvious that minor changes in the details of construction and the arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from thespirit of the inventionas set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, whatI we claim as new and desiretosecure byLejtters-Patent, is

1. An easy opening sheet metal containercomprising a body, top and bottom ends hermetically joined thereto by. double-seaming,

said top endbeing further depressed so as to form a vertical wall inset from the body wall; the metal said top end, having a depression thereinproviding a wall con in the container; topwhere said vertical wall joins the bottom portion of e the depression being thinned and disposed so that internal pressure 7 applied to the container top will create a. compression force within the thinned portion re- 7 strained by the vertical wall, while external pres:

tical wall will createa tension force which will rupture the metal at the thinned portion.

sure against the container top adjacent said vera 40 2. An easy opening sheet metal container com-.' I

prising a body, top 'and bottom ends hermetically joined thereto by double-seaming,

tactingwith the. body wall-of the container inside of'and to the fulldepth of the double seam,

said top end having a depressiontherein providing a wall consaid'top' end being further depressed so as to a form a vertical wall inset from the bodywall, the bottom'portion of said top end having an annular raised bead spaced a short distance from said vertical wall for stiffening the section which is to be removed, the metal in the container top where said vertical wall joins the bottom portion of the. depression being thinned 'and disposed so that internal pressure applied to the container top will create a compression force within the thinned portion restrained by the'vertical wall,

while external pressure against the container top adjacent'said vertical wall Will create a tension force which will rupture the metalat the thinned portion. HENRY ApFINK. 

